Rory McIlroy shouldn’t anticipate being named ‘Worker of the Month’ at PGA Tour HQ after posing a number of damning questions in regards to the controversial overhaul of the Tour Championship.
First, the world No three requested if the brand new handicapped scoring system is suitable for an occasion which likes to consider itself on the highest rungs of the game. After which he inquired aloud whether or not the much-publicised $15million (£12.3m) successful cheque is “relatable to the followers”. To many, the solutions to those two queries will probably be a convincing “no and no”.
If the obscene jackpot on provide – and the shameless advertising of the $5m hike from final yr – is a turn-off, then the unprecedented new format might handle to trigger much more shaking of heads.
The participant on the high of FedEx Cup standings, Justin Thomas, will begin Thursday’s first spherical in Atlanta on 10-under. With the 30-strong subject handicapped based mostly on their positions in that factors record, the participant in second, Patrick Cantlay, will tee off on eight-under, after which a sliding scale all the way down to the gamers in 26th to 30th on level-par.
McIlroy begins on five-under and will, subsequently, beat Thomas by 4 pictures over 4 rounds and nonetheless end behind him. That type of situation makes the 30-year-old uneasy.
“We had breakfast with a number of the sponsors and what I stated to them was if the PGA Tour is attempting to do that ‘season of championships’, which begins with the Gamers in March, then goes via the 4 majors and culminates with the FedEx Cup on the finish, if the FedEx Cup actually needs to have this legacy within the recreation like a few of these different championships, is individuals beginning the match on totally different numbers the easiest way to do it?” McIlroy stated.
“I get it from a fan expertise standpoint, I get it from giving guys which have performed higher all year long a bonus, however I don’t know – come again to me on Monday and I’ll let you know if it has labored. You’ll be able to shoot the very best rating of the week and never win the match. If that occurs to somebody it’s going to be laborious for them to wrap their head round.”
Sarcastically, the Tour instigated the modifications to the season finale to make it simpler for the viewers to know. Beforehand there have been two prize-givings on the Sunday, with the winners of each the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup being topped.
Typically the identical participant lifted each titles, however on different events, comparable to final yr with Tiger Woods and Justin Rose, there was the awkward scenario of a pair of champions.
The FedEx Cup standings had been ridiculously difficult, with gamers and followers alike not sure of the state of play because the motion unfolded and Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour chief government, determined to be daring because the match moved forwards to September. The $15m bounty proceeded to play massive within the publicity drive. Once more, McIlroy feels uncomfortable.
“Who is aware of what the winner wins on the Masters? I don’t know as a result of that’s not what it’s about,” he stated. “So once more, if the FedEx Cup needs to create a legacy that lasts longer, it doesn’t should be in regards to the cash, it needs to be in regards to the status of successful an occasion that you just’ll be remembered for.
“I don’t suppose the cash must be entrance and centre as a result of I don’t suppose that’s what the followers care about. It’s undoubtedly a thought that got here into my head, ‘How can we make ourselves extra relatable to the followers?’ – and having $15m entrance and centre isn’t most likely the easiest way to do it.”
If Thomas, who received final week at a canter in Chicago, begins nicely at East Lake then this might simply turn into a humid squib. “With this format it has the potential the place myself and a few guys get sizzling on the high of the leaderboard and it may very well be a one-man present,” Thomas conceded. “But when a few of us on the high don’t play nicely, you legitimately have the possibility of 25-28 guys which have an opportunity to win $15m on Sunday.”